Longwood Gardens and its conservatory

What it is

Pierre S. du Pont, an industrialist, bought a farm near Kennett Square in 1906 to save its old trees from a sawmill, and spent the rest of his life building a garden there. Longwood is now one of the leading display gardens in the United States. The conservatory covers several acres under glass, with an orchid house, a hall of seasonal bedding and, in autumn, chrysanthemums trained in the Japanese way so that one plant carries more than a thousand flowers. Outside are a long flower walk, waterlily pools with giant platters in summer, meadows, and fountains that play to music.

Before you go

• Timed tickets are required and sell out for the Christmas display and the autumn chrysanthemums.
• Allow a full day. The conservatory alone takes two hours.
• Waterlilies are at their best from July to September.

The flowers you will see

ChrysanthemumAutumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyondOrchidA vast family of colourful, often fragrant flowers found almost everywhere on earthGiant waterlilyLarge-leaved aquatic plant with floating flowers and edible partsTulipSpring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many coloursWaterlilyFloating aquatic flowers found in ponds and lakes worldwide

Read more

Longwood GardensA vast public garden with formal displays, woodlands, and meadows in Pennsylvania

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